Monday, September 30, 2019

Ethics and Abortion Essay

Nicky was 18 when she started dating with James. They had unprotected premarital sex. After a few weeks, she found out that she was pregnant so she asked an advice from her doctor. She wasn’t ready for a baby yet. She still had her ambitions in life and she didn’t want to give up her social life. So she and James decided to abort the baby (â€Å"Real Life: Abortion (Nicky’s Story),† 2003). Yes, you read it right. In this time of one-night stands, premarital sex and unwanted pregnancies, abortion has become a common resort from responsibility. Abortion is the removal of an embryo or a POC (Product of Conception) from the uterus. Basically, there are two types of abortion: the spontaneous abortion and the induced abortion. Spontaneous abortion is the type that is caused by accident and/or by natural cases. It can also be caused by environmental factors. On the other hand, induced abortion is caused by human action. It is further categorized into therapeutic and elective. Therapeutic abortion is the act of removing the fetus from the uterus for reasons of safety and/or survival in the part of the mother, to preserve the mother’s health, to terminate pregnancy that would result in a child born with congenital disorders, and to selectively reduce the number of fetuses to lessen health risks regarding multiple pregnancies. Meanwhile, elective abortion is the kind of abortion performed for any other reason. There are two different but parallel theories regarding abortion—the consequential theory and the deontology theory. The consequential theory believes that an act is morally right if and only if it contributes to the common good(Williams, 1973. ). It outrightly supports abortion—may it be therapeutic or elective. In therapeutic abortion, if the mother life is at risk in having the pregnancy, then the consequential theory allows for such action. If having a baby destroys a person’s future career, then abortion is okay. Consequential theory denies that moral rightness depends solely on the anything other than the consequences (B. Hooker, 2000). Nonetheless, what makes this morally wrong is not the abortion itself but the consequences it may bring to the mother such as emotional trauma. Consequential theory ignores all morally relevant factors to the consequences as opposed to whatever the circumstances there may be(Mill, 1861). However, deontology theory asserts otherwise. Deontological ethics or duty-based ethics does not consider an act as good or evil per se but classifies the action as it is being performed or on the process of performing devoid of prejudice or pre-established ethical principles. It judges morality by evaluating the nature of the actions and the will of the person involved rather than what is achieved(Kay, 1997). It is also known as nonconsequentialism. Deontological judgment depends on the object or original nature of the act. It typically involves two important elements, prerogatives and constraints. Prerogatives deny that one should always choose the option with optimistic consequences and constraints place limitations on the actions that the person may do in order to bring about his own personal good. Thus, from the deontological parlance, abortion, because it takes away life, upsets nature’s way of creation, and denies the natural capacity of a woman to give birth, is objectively and intentionally malicious, although it could be justified in extreme cases which would merit for an exception. These two theories, in essence are different but somehow, they are compatible with each other. They do not really contradict each other, rather, they are analogous. Analogous theories are truly and essentially different but necessarily contradictory with each other in principle but they could have similar effects or conclusion per application that is why they are analogous—partly the same, partly different. In the present society, most women view abortion consequentially. They justify abortion by consequences it may cause. Let’s take Nicky’s situation as an example. Nicky believes that the abortion of their baby is right mainly because it was not yet the right time for them to have a baby. If she were to continue with her pregnancy, what would have happened? She would have lived a miserable life—not having a job or a career and tied down with a baby. What if her boyfriend James left her? Could she find another man who would readily accept her despite her past? There were lots of things to be considered—school, financial stability, and emotional stability. These and a lot more questions ran through Nicky’s mind before she decided to go with the abortion. Obviously, it is not easy to try to confuse one’s conscience. But if we look at it closely, it is a matter of rights. Women’s rights. Everybody makes mistakes. Nicky did a mistake by engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse with her boyfriend. Nevertheless, continuing the pregnancy could also be a mistake. Abortion, when we look at its consequences, is not a mistake. According to the Women’s Rights, â€Å"women have the right to bodily integrity and autonomy†. Whether or not the woman decides to resort to abortion of the fetus inside her body, it is her right to decide on that. Aside from that, women also have the right to parenthood and marriage. Women who have committed abortion should not be discriminated by the society. True, it is not such a nice image but hey, women are humans. Women have rights—equal rights—and dignity(â€Å"2006,† Human Rights Watch).

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Why I should go to the promotion board

Here are a couple of reasons why I believe I should be go to the promotion board. First, I'm ready to further my career as a Non Commissioned Officer. Being the best I can be is all I've ever wanted and I'm ready to take the next step in the Army with being promoted to Staff Sergeant. Secondly, I'm ready to take on more responsibility as that shows that I'm becoming a better leader because with more rank comes more responsibility.I feel that I am more than qualified to attend the promotion board. I have more than enough experience as an NCO that this would be a prominent move In the right direction. In these current times I feel that by going to the promotion board upon passing It I will be able to Impose my will as a Staff Sergeant and lead more soldiers to becoming great leaders themselves. I am deserving of this opportunity and have been waiting my chance for a great while now.This is the time and this is the season or a break through. In closing, I'm not asking for too much but t o be afforded the opportunity to at least have a chance to attend the promotion board. I will be well prepared and motivated to do my best at the board. This will be a great step towards my career progression. My family would be proud of me, and this would be one of my most recent accomplishments, among many. I want to do so much more for the Army, but I feel limited at the level I am at this moment.I would greatly appreciate this opportunity ND once I've gone to the board, you will understand why I feel the way I feel about why I should go to the board. Thank you. Why I should go to the promotion board By AP_daddy SST Phillips, Antennae. Can be is all Vive ever wanted and I'm ready to take the next step in the Army with than enough experience as an NCO that this would be a prominent move in the right passing it I will be able to impose my will as a Staff Sergeant and lead more soldiers and once Vive gone to the board, you will understand why I feel the way I feel about.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Causes of Software Crisis

Causes of Software Crisis This paper justifies the symptoms and primary causes of software crisis. You will see that the writer made a comparison of software crisis in different countries. We took the information from different articles published in UK, USA and Canada. The findings and suggestions are described at the end to minimise the risk involved while planning and developing a software project. Introduction We begin with the symptoms of Software crisis. Evidence is provided by the documents produced by US military on software crisis. Furthermore, Charelle, (2005) has complied some more astounding failure statistics of software crisis. We have also discussed the major causes of the software crisis and the description of those causes. The major factor of causing failure in Software management projects is lack of coordination between the teams itself. In last two decades the technology trend is going upward and small and big organizations are adopting the latest technologies and techniques to improve thei r output productivity. This report reflects the major symptoms and causes of a software crisis along with their description. In the end of the report we conclude with the suggestions to improve the whole process to avoid software crisis. Symptoms of Software Crisis Many researchers agree software project failures occur more frequently than they should, some of them have tinted a crisis within the software industry (Conte et al, 1986; DeMarco, 1982). To assess the success or failure of the project express on cost, delivery time, and quality, Glass (1998) highlighted these three main aspects. Circumstantial evidence is used to highlight the symptoms and primary causes of project failure which creates serious concerns. Comparison of software crisis between different countries The other main cause of software crisis is that the machines have become more powerful, if we compare with the past we had a few computer programming with a minor problem in software. Now we have huge computer pro gramming with an equally huge problem in software. Some documents have been written to describe the failure of software project by US military and most of the software problem which had been identified in military area is the same in private sector. In this report the given table explain the major causes of software crisis, in 2001-2002 actual cost of National Insurance Recording System 2, Probation Service Crain, and Child Support Agency project increased for the reason of delays in project time, increase in actual costs and change of the system. Over cost of amount  £ 40.4 million increased in the project of (NIRS2) and same problem occurred in the project of (PSC) and an extra amount of  £ 50 million spent on the project of (CSA) to improve the system. Overall the causes of software crisis are linked to the complexity of hardware and software development process. Some other further evidence shows that in 2001, a planned project for Immigration and National Directorate was can celled since department analyzed that new system would be more complex and needs an amount of  £ 77million for the implementation of the project that is difficult for the department to pay such huge amount for this project. In the dates of 2001/2002, another new issue of fraud was highlighted in the software project of Individual Learning Accounts; it was a Flagship Training Scheme and an amount of  £ 66.9 million was fixed for its implementation. In the sequence of heavy budgeted costs a software project for Defence Logistics Organization in the year of 2002 was suspended on the reason of insufficient funds to start this heavy cost project of an amount of  £ 120 million. In the table shows that in the year 1999 a software project for Passport Agency a cost of  £ 12.6 million was suspended behind estimating high actual costs. In the prospect of high costs of software, in 1999 Home office scrapped the project that had been planned for improvement in prison services, estimated costs for this software project was about  £ 8 million. In the year 2002, a software project Libra for linkup the magistrates was under consideration and required an amount of  £ 134 million for implementation of this project. Overall in all above evidences, it shows that crisis of software apparent itself in several ways:

Friday, September 27, 2019

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 16

Business law - Essay Example The purpose of the law is to protect the plaintiff’s reputation, and so the statement must be published to third party, for it to amount to defamation. Therefore, this means that for defamation to occur, a third party must be involved (Best and burner 773). Defamation can be either libel, which is a permanent statement through print media or video, or slander, which is just a spoken form of word. Therefore, for someone to claim for damages on defamation, he/ she needs to prove that the defendant’s statement was defamatory, and that that it referred to her / him and that its publication was a malicious act. In our case here, Stanford Engineering, Inc launches an advertisement, claiming that their competitors, Cornell Code Corporation are using their customers, to ‘test’ their software. This statement is defamatory, since it ruins the reputation of Cornell Ltd, in the eyes of their customers. For Cornell to sue for un-liquidated damages on defamation, they will have to prove that the advert was defamatory. This can be proved by the fact that customers will avoid using their â€Å"allegedly untested software’ and shift business to Stanford Corporation. The statement is defamatory to Cornell limited because it ruins the reputation of the company, in the eyes of the current and potential customers. Cornell Ltd also need to prove that the defamatory statement referred to them, and this is straight forward, because the advert was clearly stating that the plaintiff (Cornell Ltd) were marketing untested software. Moreover, Cornell needs to show that there was malice, in the publication of the statement. The mare fact that Stanford and Cornell corporations are competitors clearly shows that the main intention of Stanford, in publication of this advert was to ruin the reputation of their competitors, so that they can win their customers. Publishing false information against a competitor, in order to make them lose customers is

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Culture Clash Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Culture Clash - Research Paper Example Each of the group members were to offer an intervention strategy and give their feelings about the recipient of this intervention strategy. After hashing the scenario, all group members were to offer emotional advice to the group member with the new intervention innovation as though to console or criticize how the person chose to handle the given problem. This culture clash was produced by very different personalities and emotional responses and inherent cultural differences were noted. The group activity The scenario involved a hypothetical patient having a difficult time dealing with a parental figure who was both an alcoholic and a perfectionist. The patient was 19 years old, a white American male, still living home and currently unemployed after being let go from a modest-paying production salary. Part of the job perks had been the ability to use deductions from salary to pay for ongoing education, which was unaffordable due to the mother’s excessive costs of drinking and therefore the individual was currently not attending school. To make matters more difficult, the father consistently pressured the now-adult son to find a better path for himself and generally made the environment unsuitable and unsatisfactory living. Coupled with this, the loss of a trusted girlfriend due to an unexpected car accident just four months prior, the hypothetical psychological patient was withdrawing from others, but still remained motivated to become independent of his parents’ unsatisfactory environment. To identify the culture clash involved, it was necessary to outline the entire case study and all of the situations that came along with it. This youth was typically well-adjusted and the group was to come up with social and psychological strategies, or a blend of them both. The person in the group was to take on the role of a trusted friend who happens to be visiting the house during a period where the father is harassing the son in front of the polite company and obviously belittling his talents and attitudes. To add further fuel to the fire, the mother begins the same tirade and the arguments turn into a heated explosion where the entire group is at each other’s throats. In the group, there were primarily white Americans. However, there was one female Chinese group member, one obviously Middle Eastern individual, and an African-American male. The solution offered by the author involved taking a passive stand and just allowing the argument to continue unless the arguing family members asked for opinion or directed comments in the guest’s direction. This was to ensure neutrality in the case. When the group members gave their opinions and emotional responses to how I had chosen to handle this issue, most of the responses from virtually all cultures were criticizing. They seemed to believe that in order to end the chaotic environment that was leading to what looked like physical hostility, it was my responsibility to interven e and try to calm the situation. Conflict negotiation in this case was deemed best to be disruptive and preventative using appropriate soft language. I wholeheartedly disagreed with the group. Most of the responses from the white Americans involved a more passive stand in the situation. This could be due to the sociological norms that exist in the United States in relationship to image protectionism or the lure of curiosity

The manufacturing process of Claires Antiques Case Study

The manufacturing process of Claires Antiques - Case Study Example This is a very critical area since non-value adding processes require company resources like people, equipment, and time which drives up the expenses. However, if these processes do not add to the value of products being manufactured, Claire is just wasting these resources which could have been channeled to processes that will generate value to the products. Thus, it is recommended that Claire focus on streamlining its production processes in order eliminate these non-value adding processes or sub-processes. In so doing, the company can also minimize costs and maximize the value and satisfaction delivered to customers. In doing this, Claire should list out all the activities in its manufacturing plant together will all the sub-processes involved. Afterwards, it should determine which processes are value adding and non-value adding. To further the analysis, the company can also possibly assign dollar values added by an activity. From this, Claire can then cross-out and eliminate non-v alue adding activities while retaining and enhancing those which are not. Also, another important consideration is the arrangement of the processes and the assigned personnel to it. The company should also devise a strategic plan on how to arrange processes to maximize its resources and to equip the workforce with adequate knowledge and skills to enable them to accomplish their tasks most efficiently.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The legal nature of cards payment and the risk of insolvency Essay

The legal nature of cards payment and the risk of insolvency - Essay Example There exists a cutthroat competition that prevails in the credit card market in UK as there is a high level of card literacy among British consumers and this has resulted in the expansion of the market, with the number of cards and card transactions are showing a double-growth in recent periods in spite of global economic recession. Further, spending through credit cards in UK witnessed a dramatic increase and rose to ? 41 billion in 1995 from just ?10 billion in 1985 and then up to ? 101 billion in 2002.1 This research essay will analyse in detail about credit cards, debit cards, cheque cards, charge cards, etc. and the legal nature of the above cards and how they differ from each other and precaution to be undertaken by consumers while dealing with each type of cards in an exhaustive manner. Credit Cards Credit cards are issued based on the bank’s customer’s credit history, his total wealth and his income level. The credit limit starts from a few hundred pounds to man y thousands pounds. The client employs these cards to buy products and enjoy services or to get cash from the card service provider. The customer is expected to pay off his debt within the payment period and in case of any default, interest will accrue. Credit cards have some limitations as it could not be used for very large or very small payments. For small payments, credit cards cannot be used as it would not justify the cost of usage for the same. The credit cards will always have a security limit and due to security issues, these credit cards have a limit and cannot be used for large business transactions2. Secured Credit Cards Under collateralised or secured credit cards, the quantum of credit is decided by the quantum of liquid collateral one able to give and despite of one’s past bad credit history, credit cards are issued to applicants. Thus, secured credit cards are issued to those with bad credit history, people with no credit history or individuals who do not qual ify for traditional credit cards. To be eligible for this, a customer has to make a deposit usually for a ?500 or more for one year or 18 months by way of certificate of deposit with the issuing banker which holds it as a security. Then, the customer has the credit limit to the value of the deposit and if the customer makes a default, then, the bank may use the deposit to adjust against the outstanding. Despite the fact, these cards still attract annual fees and interest charges that are equivalent or greater than those of regular credit cards3. Cheque Cards Cheque cards are identical in general appearance and in size to that of credit cards and contain analogues similar details. All major British banks and Irish banks are issuing these types of cards. Under this category, the bank issues a card that bears the name of the bank, its address, the customer’s specimen signature and his name, a special cheque card account number and the credit limit applicable. The cheque card iss uing bank ensures to honour the cheques drawn by its customer in favour of third parties, provided the limit mentioned in the cheque card does not exceed the amount on each cheque. Before issuing the cheque cards, the banks should have to establish the creditworthiness of their customers4. It is being undertaken by the cheque card issuing bank that any cheque not exceeding a certain amount fixed by the bank will be honoured subject

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Internet Banking Degree Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internet Banking Degree - Assignment Example The benefits can include faster learning, greater productivity, fewer errors and greater satisfaction. Consistent interfaces also benefit the industry by promoting greater acceptance of products and services. Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical order (Nielsen, 2002, page 1). Affordance - Provide consistent and predictable responses to user actions within the online service. Make interactions consistent, both throughout the site and with commonly used interaction metaphors used throughout the Web. For example, similar layout for user interface components is used throughout your site, similar user interface components are labelled with similar terminology, controls that look the same are designed to act the same, operating system, language, or application conventions likely to be familiar to the user have been followed, unusual user interface features or behaviors that are likely to confuse the first-time user are documented. Navigation - Providing responses to user actions is important feedback for the user. This lets them know that your site is working properly and encourages them to keep interacting. When the user receives an unexpected response, they might think something is wrong or broken. Some people might get so confused they will not be able to use your site. ContControl - Users need to feel secure when doing Internet banking. Sites need to be secure, make security measures visible and explain to users how to use sites in the most secure manner, providing appropriate warnings where necessary. Are there adequate site maps, navigation bars, menus and so on, to help users find their way around the site (Shneiderman, 1998) Are menus broad and shallow Avoid deep, narrow and hierarchical menu structures that force users to immerse themselves into the depths of the structure (Zaphiris and Mtei, 1997; Larson and Czerwinski, 1998), and thus cannot be easily navigated without practice and route memorisation. Feedback - The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time (Nielsen, 2002, page 1). The feedback however, must not detract from the perceived or actual security of the Web site. The system should speak the user's language, with words, phrases and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms. Recovery - Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly marked "emergency exit" to leave the unwanted state without having to go through an extended dialogue. Support undoes and redoes". (Nielsen, 2002, page 1). Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions" (Nielsen, 2002, page 1) - that is to say, do not just make the site internally consistent, but consistent with the majority of other sites (Nielsen, 1999). Even better than good error messages

Monday, September 23, 2019

The Effect of Excessive Alcohol Consumption Research Paper

The Effect of Excessive Alcohol Consumption - Research Paper Example The researcher states that excessive alcoholism verses performance among college and university students literature contains results of many research projects that were contacted over a period of time. It is evident that the total number of such publications is quite overwhelming, although this does not mean that all the pertinent publication were reviewed, though none of those that were applicable and useful to this work were excluded intentionally. Difficulties that were encountered in review of literature are an attempt to develop the relationship between the two parameters. Initially there has been an attempt to quantify the existing relationship between the heavy alcohol consumption and life frustrations, as well as cigarette smoking and alcoholism by a wide range of researchers. According to AKsir & Charles; Boston Coalition; Baer; Core Institute, showed that based on the DSM-IV-TR, the addiction to alcohol is characterized by various behavioral, psychological and physiological elements. The commonality of these studies is that alcohol is characterized by incidences of recurrent alcohol intake, which is accompanied by the failure to fulfil roles and responsibilities, such as domestic and job responsibilities. Secondly, this study showed that addiction is characterized by increased use of alcohol in the situations that are considered to be physically hazardous, for instance, driving under the influence of alcohol. In other independent studies Babo, Borsari and Carey found that alcohol abuse is also characterized by the increased encounters with legal problems. This study, as well showed that alcohol abuse is also characterized by the continued alcohol abuse, even when victims are aware of the inherent problems such as domestic squabbles that they cause. In yet another study, Bailey, Fiore, and Cohen carried out a research on co morbidity and noted that alcohol abuse is associated with adverse health risks and social consequences relating to the alcohol int oxication, dependency characteristics, as well as its toxicity. Reporting on the treatment of Alcohol abuse, among college students, APA.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Jacksons Building Centres Essay Example for Free

Jacksons Building Centres Essay Introduction: A large to medium sized business such as Jacksons need quite a big Human Resources department. They perform a key role in the companys day to day operations. This department cover many areas such as, recruitment and training, organisation at department levels and looking at competition, these are just a few aspects of the department but are all needed so make the business run efficiently. This Human Resource based project I am going to base on Jacksons Building Centres. The main aim of this study is to investigate the five main areas of Human Resources which are: * Human resource planning * Recruitment and selection * Training and development * Performance management * Motivational theory Human resource planning: In an ideal world businesses should plan ahead when it comes to human resources. A well-organized business will have forecasts and projections of its future staffing needs. These will then be matched to forecasts and projections about the local labour market, which means that the business can develop appropriate strategies for the recruitment, training and development of its staff. Projected Levels of Employment in Lincolnshire: Work Force Lincolnshire Total Number in Employment 219,085 % of all working age in employment 75.2 % of Male Full-Time 42.7 % of Female Full-Time 6.6 % of Male Part-Time 23.4 % of Female Part-Time 27.2 The types of jobs that are in decline in Lincolnshire: The two main types of jobs that are in decline in Lincolnshire are: * Farming this is due to more to increased mechanisation so the ratio of work complete by machines to human is decreasing, thus less man power is needed. * Heavy Engineering the majority of heavy engineering companies have left the area only leaving the largest which is Alstom. Due to Jacksons not being involved in these sectors the decline in certain areas of employment does not have an effect on the business. Technological advances, changes in social behavior, demographic shifts and economic conditions are driving fundamental changes in the structure of the labour market and the playing field on which competition is laid for labour. The competitiveness with other employers is affected by general labour market forces. Recruitment and Selection: Recruitment and Selection is a well-worn topic, whish is traded fully in all major texts. There is always a tension between getting the right person for a job and how much resource in terms of time and money is devoted to recruitment. The main ways in which Jacksons recruit is via Job Centres and Local News papers. This encourages people who live in the local area to apply for the job. The Selection Process for the management scheme: Requirements: Between the ages of 18 and 24. 4 GCSEs 2 A Levels Application: * Approximately one hundred people apply for four positional available, * They then look for suitability for the position in Jacksons case Energetic and hard working, * They then select the definite nos: * not complete application forms, * poor handwriting * poor literacy * They then look for the applicants that they like: * Sociability quality * Good Motivational qualities * A Spark! They then invite the selected applicants to an assessment centre where they undergo a series of tasks. They are first split up into groups of around twelve for around half a day where the do exercises based on: Motivation Sociability Team Work During this time they look for the Contribution of the applicant or domineering and no contribution, within this they look for a balance between them. They then have a half an hour paper base study where they have to figure an appropriate solution to a given problem. From the assessment centre they narrow the candidates down to 2 or 3 which will be interviewed. The interview will be based and assessed on: A Balanced approach Halo Effect Avoiding bias Describe personalities Numeracy Questions Case study during interview (customer service problem) Move away from Psychometric tests Looking at objectives An interview report is then compiled. If the applicant is successful then they will be asked back to another interview with Branch managers and other high status employees. They will then offer 4 to 6 placements within a month to 6 weeks. Included in the next few pages are examples of the Application Form and the Employment Interview Report. Training and Development: Jacksons run a management trainee program which has been running for around twenty years. Jacksons say it has been a strong contributory factor in their continued success, providing their branches with a steady stream of capable Merchant Managers. The programme consists of two stages. The first lasts for two years, in which time trainees will gain a valuable insight into the running of a busy Builders Merchant. The programme will be agreed at the beginning of the course and is designed to acquaint the trainee with a merchants environment, as well as learning and developing valuable personal competencies, such as time-management, assertiveness and communication skills. Knowledge will be developed from grass roots level where the trainee will work in a number of departments, building up an understanding of both the products we sell and customers we deal with. Progress is assessed regularly, both verbally and by written appraisal. Upon successful completion of the first phase the trainee will move onto the second stage of the programme, where there will be more specific management development lasting up to one year. Transport/Warehouse Building Materials Plumbing and Heating Sales Plumbing Office Heating Office Ironmongery Bathroom Showroom Kitchen Showroom Jackson Hire Timber one month three months three months two months two months three months three months one month three months three months In addition to the above, you will also spend time in the following areas: a. Accompanying a Company Representative b. Accompanying a Lorry Driver c. A period in the Accounts Office As a trainee manager you will also take part in special projects such as trade shows, corporate promotions and careers conventions. You will also spend time working at one other branch. This gives you the opportunity to work with people from around the group. Motivational Theory: Training in motivation is important in helping learners develop self-regulatory skills to set their own goals and manage their own learning and performance. Evaluating motivational levels in a learning situation also allows the instructor to determine the clarity of their units directions, and measure the effectiveness of varying consequences to either success or failure of individual students (Driscoll, 2000). Keller adds curiosity and its measure and promotion are a key to promoting knowledge seeking behaviour (Keller, 1987). A prevalent model in motivational theory is credited to John M. Keller. The ARCS theory of motivation corresponds to each of the four letters of the acronym (Keller, 1984): A- Attention R- Relevance C- Confidence S- Satisfaction Attention Kellers Attitude of Inquiry (1987) is a phrase used to describe the attention level desired to promote learning. He recommends varying presentation styles in order to maintain student attention (Keller,1983). Driscoll suggests presenting some materials through varying media, alternating lecture with demonstration, small group discussions, or class debates (2000). Relevance Instructors should relate lessons to their learners experiences by providing concrete examples and analogies. The more familiar something is, the more likely a student is to see it as relevant to their learning and use (Driscoll, 2000). Keller states that people enjoy learning more about things they already believe in or are more interested in (1987). Elementary teachers who used all four categories of ARCS found that relevance bore the strongest positive relationship to on-task behavior (Newby, 1991). Confidence Students gain confidence in their own abilities when experiencing success at challenging tasks (Driscoll, 2000). Students can be shown that seemingly unreachable goals can be attained through a series of organized, manageable sub goals and attainable small steps. Even failure can build confidence if the learner attributes failure to the poor use of strategies inherent to learning (Clifford, 1984). Satisfaction Students base satisfaction on the comparison of their achievements on balance with the achievements of those involved with them in the same learning environment (Keller, 1987). Elements increasing satisfaction can be verbal praise, incentives, and awards (Driscoll, 2000). The above four are the main sections that are obtained under the title Motivational Theory. Different Theories: Many theories have been established within the last one hundred years and it is not possible to consider each one of these. What is important in the study of motivation are the key names that have influenced todays approach. Four major theories have remained at the forefront of motivational techniques and each one is linked to a different style of management they are: * Frederick Winslow Taylor * Douglas McGregor * Abraham Maslow * Frederick Herzberg. Performance management Performance Management refers to different strategies designed to get the best of a businesses work force. Different techniques are employed which attempt to relate performance with pay, or promotion or training. Such schemes are not always popular with workers. A method of creating fair individual and team will be used by the Human Resources department and this could be done by the SMART model: Specific use a clear language to describe exactly what is required Measurable identify numerical targets and outputs which can be counted and assessed Agreed agree these with the employee so that they take responsibility for their own output Realistic set targets that are attainable for each individual, according to their skills and competencies Time-related state specific dates when targets must be achieved and will be measured External Labour Market The external Labour market is important to the running of the Human Resources department of Jacksons. To attract people to the company they need to compete with other companies. This means that Jacksons have to be able to offer the best package for them to attract new workforces. One of the main things that Jacksons offer is the Management training course. This is a very sort after employment opportunity due to incorporating management and other valuable skills fitting for later employment opportunities. Another aspect of importance to the external labour market to the Human Resources department is the way jobs and such are advertised. This in many cases is what a potential employee is looking at. So the Human Resources department look at other companies methods and take the good points from them to increase efficiency of attracting potential employees.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Prepare And Implement A Personal Development Plan Education Essay

Prepare And Implement A Personal Development Plan Education Essay Each of our work guided by the goal. we cannot live without doing any work. If we start our work by paining, that is definite to get success or reach the goal. Otherwise if we start to work without any plan there is certainly we get little achieve but we lost more time and resource. There should be need special skill to do any kinds of work. To get rational skill and knowledge we need rational learning style. Before the start new learning we need to do self-assignment about own skill and knowledge. Before the start of new thing to prepare the personal development plan (PDP) is so reasonable manner. How would we define a personal development plan? Well I would define it as a plan we make for our self to achieve something in our life. What do we wish to accomplish? Do you want to start a wholesale business? Do we want to get a new career? Whatever it is our wish to do we will need to define a personal development plan and put begin to put it into action. The PDP has given us the fully guide line of our learning. What is Personal Development Plan (PDP) In the general sense personal Development Plan is that kinds of plan which we prepared to before the start of our work to made the success of our goal. In the PDP we analysis of our exacting skill and ability, and what goal we need to achieve after the work this all thing include in the PDP. It is a kinds of working plan. Personal Development Planning can be defined as a process that helps you to think about your own learning, performance and/or achievements and to plan for your personal, educational and career development.  [1]   Therefore under the PDP include of this thing: Current proficiency. What is the skill which is going to learn How and with whom is going to learn new skill Learning or working time scale Criteria for judging success The evidence of learn or work. In this way, PDP is that thing it help to us to know what we going to do , what skill I have available and what result is came it all thing and as well as it help to systematic and achievable of our work. Significance of a PDP for University student PDP has played a most significance role for a university student like me. A student main goal and purpose is to learn new skill and knowledge. For example I came in UK to study of business management. After the study I want to learn newly management related skill and knowledge. To learn new skill and knowledge I spend my money and time in the UK. When I learn about the PDP then I also made my PDP and now I have implement it in my existing student life it help to me so much to effective learning. For example after the study of management research project and presentation I had learn the skill of how to prepare the project? How to present it with other? How to answer the question of participator? How to manage the feedback? How to solve the problem? In here, my PDP has support to me made a confidence of that work. PDP is the so important of a university student. PDP has encourage to student to learn a new skill and knowledge. It give a clear vision of the student learning. It give a clarity of what is learning and how it is going to learn. I give a method of learning for the student. PDP has identify the what skill already to learner and what skill need to learn. From the PDP what skill I am success to learn and what skill I did not learn it also identify. By the PDP we can know what should be need to do in the next stapes as well. In the conclusion, we can said PDP has help to us to manage our time, work, learn and as well as it give a vision of our future and help to made of our future planning therefore PDP has play must significance role in the university student. 4. Implement of my PDP, suggest and explain of my Action plan. When I understand the significant of PDP for a student then I also prepared and implementing of my PDP. My learning goal is to make a success manager so my purpose is to stay in UK and study of business management. I want to learn communication skill, team working skill, leadership skill, decision-making skill, problem-solving skill, organization operation skill, under one year time period. As well as I want to learn the theoretic knowledge of commerce, business, and management. For that purpose now I am studying in LSBM in postgraduate level of APDMS course. Action Planning helps me to identify and set targets, documenting a thought out strategy. A well written action plan will be clear in its intentions, unambiguous and focussed. I am going to saw the long-term action plan of my PDP simple and the table of personal development plan is in appendix -1: My long-term aspirations and goal: About me: my plan beyond post graduation I would like to get a job working in business organisationà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s manager for long company Opportunities: way forward for me I will find out what quality and experience is need for the job Action planning target Action points By when Find out what qualification I need to get By the end of 1st semester Investigate what experience is repaired for the job By the mead in 2nd semester Speak to my advisor of studies By the end of second semester Note on completion 5. Important of self-review Self-review is so important of a university student. Self à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬review had help to me to identify the success and unsuccessful part of my PDP implement. After the self-review I can learn how many skill and knowledge and how many I did not learn? To know our success and unsuccessful part we can made a further strategy. And we get the chance to improve ourself. . After the self-review mainly we can learn following thing: Is our work going to meet the personal goal. What I do well and where I can improve. My personality and personal quality. What if fiend motivating and what interests. How I learn best. Self review help to us to remove the coming learning obstacle and keep the alert position in all time as well as give the opportunity to improve of our PDP. 6. Self-review influence on the Effectiveness of my Individual Learning Self-review has important influence in my learning. I failed in some module in my first semester after that I doing my self-review and asked the question why I failed? When I did my self-review I find out, in the past time I studied in Nepal in theoretical base but in UK study method is practical base method so there is learning style is not matching and I did not learn properly and I failed in the exam. And the other reason is, in Nepal my study method is Nepali medium but in England I am studying in English medium first chance. The is reason of language weakness I did not learn so many thing as well as I could not expresses of my learn thing also so I failed in the exam. Main this two thing I find out after my self- review and now I am try to remove that my weakness and going to made more effective of my study. 7. Conclusion: There is so important of Personal Development of a university student. So there should be need to prepare and implement a PDP for a university student. PDP has encouraged studying a student. A studentà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s PDP has helped the student to identified, what I learn? What should be needed to learn? What is the action of learning? Which skill has I learn? and what is my progress etc. In this way PDP has help to got a student object and give the clear guideline. In my experience PDP has help me to learn many kinds of business management related skill which I want to learn. For that purpose I did self-review of my PDP in time to time. Self-review has identify to me my weakness of learning when I identify of my weakness I have improvement that and go ahead. In this way self-review has brought to effectiveness in my learning process. Especially after my self-review I get the chance to improvement my language and practical base study method. Reference: Gorman, Thm., (1998). The Complete Idiotà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s Guide to: MBA Basics. 1st Ed. New York: Alpha Books. Rebbins, Stephen P. and Hunsaker, Philip L. (2009) Training in interpersonal Skill.5th Ed. Pearson international Edition: London. http://www.imperial.ac.uk/ice/, 20th December 2010. http://ezinearticles.com/?Define-Personal-Development-Planid=790578, 20th December 2010. http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2008/09/personal-develo.html, 20th December 2010.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Chang Yu-i’s Struggle With Identity Essay -- Chinese Culture China Ess

Chang Yu-i’s Struggle With Identity Are you are confused as to where you are going in life? Do you sometimes feel like you just do not know who you are, or who you want to be? Do not worry, this is not uncommon. In fact, according to psychoanalyst Erik Erickson (1902-1994), most young people ages fifteen to twenty years of age feel the same way. Erickson, a psychoanalytic theorist, took the human life cycle and categorized it into eight stages. One such stage would be identity versus role-confusion. During this stage, adolescents begin to truly form who they are in life. They form their present off of the good and bad experiences of their past. Erickson believes that the stages in the life cycle apply to nearly everyone. It does not matter where or what era you are from. Take, for example, a character from Bound Feet & Western Dress by Pang-Mei Natasha Chang. Chang writes a dual memoir of her and her great-aunt’s lives. In her novel, Chang tells the story of her great aunt, Chang Yu-i, growing up in a chang ing world. Even though Yu-i is born and raised in China during the early 1900s, she still faces the conflicts of trying to find herself. The psycho social crisis called ‘identity versus role-confusion’ occurs mainly during adolescence, although it is not restricted to this period in life. It is usually the fifth stage in the life cycle, although it may overlap with the stages before and after it. Major circumstances can also later change the outcome of this stage. Throughout this stage, a person finds himself bringing together parts of his life and combining them to form who he wants to be in life. Outside factors, such as the community or family, tend to play an indirect, but important role in forming an identity. This is true in any culture, although family plays an even more significant role in a collectivist culture, such as Yu-i’s. Chang Yu-i grows up in a family of twelve children in a small county outside Shanghai, China. Born into changing times, the struggle for finding herself is perhaps even harder and more confusing than it would be for people born today. Yu-i is born into a time when China is torn between holding on to the old traditions and adopting the ways of the western world. Throughout the early 1900s, China was in political turmoil. China had to deal with the Boxer Rebellion, the revolution against the Manchu dyna... ..., Yu-i’s family decides she will marry Hsu Chi-mo at age fifteen. Yu-i does not want to get married yet, but instead wants to continue her education at the Academy. However, she does not have a say in who or when she will marry. Because it is time for her to get married, her education is discontinued. She is pulled from her schooling before she is finished with it, neither her parents nor her in-laws feel that this is important. Although the fact that her education was cut short is not something she is pleased with, it is still something she has to accept, and it still a part of who she is. It is a difficult and long process to find yourself. Erickson tells us that is is a natural stage in life to question who you are. Everyone goes through it, regardless of age, sex, race, or time. Take Chang Yu-i for example. She pulled good experiences in her life, such as having unbound feet and getting some education, and used them to help form who she was becoming But she also took the experiences she did not like, such as discontinuing her education as such a young age to get married, and accepted them as part of who she was. She grew up strong, and eventually became her own person.

William Butler Yeats Essay -- essays research papers

William Butler Yeats. William Butler Yeats was the major figure in the cultural revolution which developed from the strong nationalistic movement at the end of the 19th century. He dominated the writings of a generation. He established forms and themes which came to be considered as the norms for writers of his generation. Yeats was a confessional poet - that is to say, that he wrote his poetry directly from his own experiences. He was an idealist, with a purpose. This was to create Art for his own people - the Irish. But in so doing, he experienced considerable frustration and disillusionment. The tension between this ideal, and the reality is the basis of much of his writing. One central theme of his earlier poetry is the contrast between the aims he, and others, such as Lady Gregory, had for their movement, and the reality. He had hoped to provide an alternative to nationalism fuelled mainly by hatred for Britain, through the rebirth and regeneration of an ancient Irish culture, based on myth and legend. Instead, he found that the response of the newly emerging Irish Catholic middle class to their work, varied between indifference and outrage. On the one hand, their indifference was displayed by their refusal to fund a gallery for the Hugh Lane collection of Art, and on the other hand, they rioted i n outrage at Synge's Playboy of the Western World. The tension between Yeats' ideal, and the reality is developed in the Fisherman and September 1913. Both these poems deal with Yeats attempts to bring Art to the people of Ireland, and the negative response of Irish society. September 1913. Here, Yeats directs his passionate rage against the Irish Catholic middle class. He perceives them as Philistines, whose values are monetary and religious, not artistic. His scorn for their petty money grubbing - dry the marrow from the bone and their narrow selfish piety Prayer to shivering prayer is set in contrast to his admiration for the heroes of old. Yet they were of a different kind. These patriots had loved Ireland with a passion which consumed them, and for which no sacrifice was too great. For whom the hangman's rope was spun. But the present materialistic age has no place for such men of courage and idealism. Their age is past. It's With O'Leary in the grave. Self sacrifice and patriotism are dead. Consequently, he dismisses the Ireland of his day with ... ...Blind Man stole the bread' were 'Heart mysteries' -that is, having their origins in human emotions, he sacrificed the man to the artist: 'Players and painted stage took all my love, And not those things that they were emblems of". The joy of creation increasingly absorbed him, not the living of life. Character isolated by a deed To engross the present and dominate memory. These images were 'masterful' - under the Ringmaster's control. And they 'grew in pure mind' -increasingly they were the product of his intellect, not his emotions. But now they have gone - they've deserted him, or perhaps he has deserted them, seeing them in all their artificiality. So he is left with no option but to return to what he has avoided - the world of feeling, of emotion. His ladder out of that tangled world of human emotion, has gone. He's left at the bottom of the ladder, with his feet on the ground. He uses the powerful metaphor of litter - 'old kettles, old bones, old rags' to suggest the ugliness of human feeling. But, he must confront the reality of life and living at last - he must return to the source of all art, the world of human emotion- 'The foul rag and boneshop of the heart'.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Power of Interior Monologues in War and Peace Essay -- War and Pea

     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   War and Peace probed into the human essence and its search for the truths of life. Tolstoy focused on two men to represent and carry the burden of finding those ethereal values. Throughout the novel, he utilized numerous images, symbols, dialogue, and foreshadowing to advance the progress of his characters. Yet, his most effective use of technical device can be found in describing the psychological thoughts and interior monologues of the characters. Most notably, the thoughts of Pierre and Andrei served to portray their spiritual changes better than by what they did, and also helped to foretell and build suspense to upcoming actions. By doing so, Tolstoy furthered the plot and created a realistic world from which to study characters who acted, talked, and most importantly, thought as real human beings do in the same situations.    The magnanimity of Tolstoy's use of internal actions rather than external actions has far reaching effects to this day. Pierre and Andrei underwent a drastic change, and because of this critics compare them to Tolstoy himself. Tolstoy grew up in an aristocratic household, but because he wanted to live life as it should be lived, he also searched for the answers to the problem of life. Like Pierre and Andrei, he faced many difficulties in his journey, but eventually found salvation in the basic values of simplicity, understanding of life and death, and love of all creatures. Thus, Tolstoy, Pierre, and Andrei transformed themselves through pain and suffering to attain a higher level of spirituality, notably mimicking the legendary change of St. Paul the Apostle. In addition to his connections with the Christian St. Paul, Tolstoy also laid down the foundations for Buddhist Zen in the wester... ...rn, The Rise of the Russian Novel, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1973. John Fennel, Nineteenth Century Russian Literature, London, Faber and Faber, 1973. Ed. Malcolm Jones, New Essays on Tolstoy, Bristol: Cambridge University Press, 1978. Ed. Harold Bloom, Modern Critical Interpretations - War and Peace, New York, Chelsea House Publishers, 1988 Daniel Rancour - Laferriere, Tolstoy's Pierre Bezukhov - A Psychoanalytical Study, Melksham: Bristol Classical Press, 1993. Helen Edna Davis, Tolstoy and Nietzsche, New York: Haskell House Publishers Ltd., 1929. I Cannot be Silent - Writings on Politics, Art and Religion by Leo Tolstoy, Chippenham: The Bristol Press, 1989. E. H. Carr, What is History?, St Ives: Penguin Books, 1987. Pauline Marie Rosenau, Post-Modernism and the Social Sciences, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Education has undergone a paradigm shift

Education has undergone a paradigm displacement in recent old ages with accent traveling towards larning instead than learning. Learning is no longer regarded as a unidirectional procedure of cognition transferral/distribution, but instead is considered a transformational procedure in which scholars get facts, theories and rules as conceptual tools for problem-solving and concluding within meaningful contexts. Distance acquisition ( DL ) has non been immune to this displacement and the technological developments of recent decennaries has hastened the rate of alteration. Distance acquisition is defined by the separation of scholar and instructor in infinite and/or clip ( Teaster and Blieszner, 1999 ) and Keegan ( 1995 ) considers that it consequences from the technological separation of scholar and instructor which removes the necessity of â€Å" going to a fixed topographic point†¦ at a fixed clip†¦ to run into a fixed individual†¦ in order to be trained or educated à ¢â‚¬  ( p.7 ) . Although distance acquisition might be thought of as a comparatively new term, it has existed in assorted signifiers for over a hundred old ages, get downing life through correspondence classs and go oning in this manner until being superseded by instructional telecasting and wireless in the mid twentieth century ( Imel, 1996 ) . While it is acknowledged that DL continues to take topographic point through diverse media, and that on-line bringing is merely one of these methods, the groundswell in synergistic engineerings in recent old ages has concomitantly fostered the development of new methodological analysiss which engender ( societal ) constructivist attacks, and it is the issues which surround these developments, and in peculiar some of the ways in which constructivist ideals can be realised in DL that will be the focal point of this assignment. One of the salient characteristics of DL is that it enables larning to be clip and topographic point independent, big scholars are able to set up larning around their mundane modus operandis without being constrained. In the age of IT a diverse scope of instruction ( and other ) engineerings exist to ease distance instruction where teacher and scholar are spatially separated and on-line media are used to cross the educational spread. As engineering has advanced, so the definition of DL has changed, videotaped talks were the standard signifier of bringing in university/professional DL classs in the 1980s and 1990s ( Moore and Lockee, 1998 ) and this theoretical account of spacial and temporal separation continued until the Internet, electronic mail and compressed picture moved DL into new waies and allowed it to happen in real-time. Ongoing technological developments: confab suites, wikis, treatment boards, weblogs and videoconferencing have continued to cut down the distance in DL as societal media engineerings have enabled an addition in engagement through coaction. The usage of Web 2.0 tools has accelerated the acceptance of two-way, synchronal, collaborative e-learning experiences that are get downing to replace the top-down, unidirectional instructional theoretical account. These alterations have led many observers to propose that DL requires a new, qualitatively different teaching method built upon this emerging relationship between te achers and scholars. Pedagogical considerations must recognize that the practical schoolroom possesses a typical social-interaction context and that, although engineerings may be considered transformative, they can non, of themselves, transform the acquisition experience and pedagogues must understand that â€Å" distance instruction is truly about making a different sort of construction for acquisition and instruction, non the usage of engineering † ( Kearsley 1998, no page no. ) . Petraglia ( 1998 ) has suggested that educational engineers may hold misunderstood the challenges which are posed within the DL scene by â€Å" the effort to do learning stuffs and environments correspond to the existent universe prior to the scholar ‘s interaction with them † ( p.53 ) . These efforts at pre-authentication hazard sabotaging the epistemic dimension of constructivism since the pedagogue pre-determines what reliable acquisition is, and this may be in struggle with the scholar ‘s ain perceptual experience of what is reliable for them. This effort at contextualising larning bounds constructivism ‘s application since â€Å" we need to convert scholars of a jobs genuineness instead than advance environments that deliver pre- authenticated jobs † ( Ibid. , p.13 ) . Knowles, Holton and Swanson ( 1998, p.23 ) have criticised ‘chain-like ‘ sequencing of larning events as being elemental instead than holistic, and yet some online acquisition theoretical accounts still use ‘chain-like ‘ sequencing which fail to integrate constructivist elements or take advantage of grownup larning theories to heighten the acquisition environment. Since DL operates in a different environment from the traditional schoolroom, distance pedagogues must utilize typical perceptual experiences and techniques to guarantee success, and some educationists ( Moller, 1998 ; Petraglia, 1998 ; Jonassen, Davidson, Collins, Campbell and Haag, 1995 ) have proposed that constructivism is most relevant to this context. Furthermore, grownup scholars have peculiar demands and demands compared with striplings and kids, hence, distance pedagogues must cognize how adults might larn best because of their peculiar demands. Therefore, this assignment will try to analyze the impact that constructivism has in the distance acquisition environment when focussed upon grownup scholars, and the ways in which new engineerings are back uping the development of constructivist and societal constructivism ideals within this environment. From behaviorism to constructivism Conventional instruction has normally relied upon an objectivist epistemology, this position presumes that cognition can be transferred from coach to student via direction and pattern, and that ‘true world ‘ can be discovered by the amassing of facts ( Kelly, 1970 ) . Teaching underpinned by this doctrine discourages diverse apprehensions and positions, disregards the different contexts/experiences of the person, and considers pupils to be the inactive receiving systems of cognition. Although the didactic, information-giving technique may be appropriate for some acquisition manners and in some contexts, its continuance as a dominant teaching method has stifled acknowledgment of diverse acquisition penchants. In this context accent is placed on teacher-control and student-compliance, in contrast, an recognition that adult scholars bring their ain peculiar larning features to any learning state of affairs leads effectual pedagogues to recognize these features when planning and presenting acquisition. DL has a different scene from the traditional schoolroom ensuing non merely from the spacial separation of instructor and scholar, but besides from the differences in instructional design ( Moore, 1991 ) . Since DL can non ease face-to-face interaction in the same manner that the conventional schoolroom does, and as Moore ( Ibid. ) has noted, group or single interaction is influenced by the educational doctrine in usage, assorted research workers ( McHenry and Bozik, 1995 ; McDonald and Gibson, 1998 ; Comeaux, 1995 ) have focussed upon the survey of interaction in DL. Constructivists ( e.g. , Dewey, 1916 ; Bruner, 1966 ; and Vygotsky, 1978 ) see cognition as socially constructed through scholar ‘s interaction with others. However, Knowle ‘s ( 1970 ) grownup larning theory ( andragogy ) might be viewed as conflicting with the ideals of collaborative larning due to its focal point on learner-centred direction and single acquisition aims and penchants. Collaborative teamwork is likely to be regarded every bit antithetical to these ideals unless the grownup scholar can see positive benefits from engagement. The theories relevant to this country will now be considered. Constructivist and Adult Learning Theory reviewed. Constructivism In recent old ages educational discourse has challenged the objectivist position, with an increasing apprehension that there are many ways of understanding world. Whilst constructivist authors have described assorted signifiers of constructivism, all recognise the active function which the scholar plays in construing the universe ( Larochelle and Bednarz, 1998 ) . Constructivism contests objectivism ‘s position that cognition reflects ontological world ( Ibid. ) , and alternatively proposes that our buildings and universe positions are non stable, but instead are in a province of flux as we build upon old experiences. These alterations signify acquisition, and back up the apprehension that we are ne'er inert, but alternatively are ever larning and interacting ( Kelly, 1970 ) . The Hagiographas of Dewey ( 1916 ) , Vygotsky ( 1965 ) , Bruner ( 1966 ) and Piaget ( 1926 ) have all proposed that pupils learn actively and organize new apprehensions based upon anterior cognition, and these positions view the function of the teacher altering from â€Å" a sage to a usher † ( Mason, 1998, p.4 ) . Dewey ( 1916 ) believed that larning state of affairss represent the experience ( s ) of the environment which affect the scholar, and that interaction occurs between the scholar and the environment. Therefore cognition is predicated upon active experience. Both Dewy and Piaget considered that pedagogues have a function to play both in determining the pupil ‘s experience from the environment, and understanding which milieus are likely to breed experiences that will take to growing. Dewey ( 1916 ) believed that instruction ‘s chief map was to develop the logical thinking procedure, and that jobs to be studied should be drawn from the scholar ‘s ain involvements. He viewed it as indispensable, hence, that â€Å" there be a uninterrupted activity in which he is interested for its ain interest † ( P.163 ) and that â€Å" †¦ a echt job develop within this state of affairs as a stimulation to thought † ( Ibid. ) . In this manner, constructivist methods underscore the development of the scholar ‘s ability to work out real-life jobs, and in making so ‘free-discovery ‘ and ‘problem-solving ‘ come together. As a consequence, cognition is dynamic and constructed upon the find proce dure ( Dewey, 1916 ) , and the teacher is viewed as a usher alternatively of as a manager of larning since acquisition allows for originative interaction instead than being purely outcome-based. Vygotsky ( 1965 ) moved beyond concentrating upon the person, interpreting and building significances of world, alternatively seeing single acquisition as grounded in the socio-cultural context, and symbolically mediated through language/dialogue. For Vygotsky, the scholar ‘s societal interactions, including those with instructors and other scholars, are critically of import to cognitive development, ensuing in Vygotskian theory frequently being referred to as societal constructivism. Vygotsky ‘s Zone of Proximal Development ( ZPD ) describes how engagement with another ( instructor or equal ) enables scholars to polish their thought or public presentation and do it more effectual ; this thought was taken farther by Bruner ( 1966 ) in developing the construct of scaffolding. Bruner ( Ibid. ) views instruction as a procedure of personal find, with cognitive growing happening as pupils progress through three larning phases: enactive, iconic and symbolic. In order to bring f orth apprehension, pupils must travel through the phases in turn, bring forthing new constructs and thoughts in a procedure of find acquisition, or, with the aid of another, through guided find. Knowles et Al. ( 1998 ) contend that this find should take topographic point in real-life state of affairss in order to be genuinely effectual and argue that much grownup acquisition is informal. Knowles is best known for his proposal of a theory of grownup larning which will now be reviewed. Adult larning theory Andragogy as an political orientation of constructs, thoughts and attacks for grownup instruction and acquisition was introduced by Malcolm Knowles in 1968 in acknowledgment of the different demands and motives of grownups compared with younger scholars. Conventional pedagogical theoretical accounts do non take history of these differences and so may bring forth tenseness, opposition and feelings of bitterness ( Knowles et al. , 1998 ) Six rules of grownup acquisition have been outlined: Need to cognize – grownups want to cognize why something should be learned, â€Å" what acquisition will happen, and why acquisition is of import † ( Ibid. , p.133 ) . The objectivist theoretical account assumes that pupils will larn what they are told to larn. However, grownups are used to commanding and understanding what they do, hence they want to cognize why something should be learnt and what benefit ( s ) larning will convey. Self concept – â€Å" Adults resent and resist and resist state of affairss in which they feel others are enforcing their volitions on them † ( Ibid, p.65 ) . Whilst they feel the demand for liberty, old educational experiences may hold made them dependent. It is the grownup pedagogue ‘s function to promote pupils to go self-directing, taking duty for their acquisition. Role of experience – Adult scholars are more heterogenous than immature pupils, their anterior experiences impact on acquisition, and they want to do usage of bing foundations of cognition, using them to new learning experiences. Readiness to larn – Adults are merely prepared to larn if/when their life state of affairs creates a demand to larn ( Knowles, 1970 ) . Orientation to larning – Adults favour problem-solving orientations, larning best when real-life contexts are used to show cognition. Motivation to larn – Internal precedences are more of import than external incentives, grownups are motivated to larn when the cognition can be utilised to work out jobs in their lives. Brookfield ( 1995 ) besides considered attacks to andragogy, holding with Knowles that grownups need to be autonomous and take control of their acquisition, and that this acquisition should be grounded in experiences. Additionally, Brookfield identified as of import critical refection – focusing on how adults thinks contextually and critically, and larning to larn. Brookfield ( Ibid. ) describes the instruction of grownups to larn how to larn as an â€Å" overarching intent for those pedagogues who work with grownups † ( no page no. ) Distance acquisition and ( societal ) constructivism Behaviourist educational schemes, trusting on the development of instructional sequences with results that are predetermined, have formed the footing of capable development for a figure of old ages. Constructivists are critical of this theoretical account because of its delegating of the function of the pupil to one of inactive receiver, and it reliance upon ‘drill and pattern ‘ larning activities with small attending paid to mental schemes or the significances behind them. This attack does non do allowances for negotiated shared significances, and fails to recognize the value of larning from errors made ( Williams and Burden, 1997 ) . Constructivism, in contrast to behaviorism, focuses on pupil ‘s innate efforts to do sense of the universe as the footing for the acquisition procedure, and recognises that persons use their anterior experiences in this procedure. The burden on the pedagogue displacements, hence, from being the ‘mechanic ‘ of cognition transportation, to going the ‘midwife ‘ in understanding ‘s birth ( von Glaserfield, 1996 ) with duty for making rich acquisition environments which provide the chance for meaningful experiences. In sing the function of constructivist theory in distance acquisition, Jonassen et Al. ( 1995 ) suggest four rules for constructivist environments that â€Å" engage scholars in cognition building through collaborative activities that embed larning in a meaningful context and through contemplation on what has been learned through conversation with others † ( p.5 ) . The rules propose that on-line distance larning environments should b e built with a focal point upon: Context, including a real-world component to avoid ‘chain-like ‘ sequencing ; Construction, leting active cognition building through articulation and contemplation ; Collaboration, happening amongst scholars to back up the development and rating of beliefs and hypotheses, and Conversation, for the dialogue of solutions to jobs. The acknowledgment of the importance of coaction and conversation amongst scholars as cardinal elements in the acquisition procedure is rooted in constructivism ‘s outgrowth: societal constructivism, which emphasises larning ‘s societal and collaborative nature ( Vygotsky, 1978 ) . McLoughlin and Oliver ( 1998 ) see that the constructivist position fails to to the full recognize that societal procedures, for illustration coaction, peer interaction and linguistic communication usage, have an of import impact on larning. Social constructivist believing positions cognition as constructed when scholars engage in conversation or activities about common undertakings or jobs. Meaning is constructed through a dialogic procedure and acquisition occurs as pupils are enculturated by better skilled equals ( Driver, Asoko, Leach, Mortimer and Scott, 1994 ) . Through this procedure, cultural tools are acquired via engagement in cultural activities. Wells ( 1999 ) considers that Vygotsk ian theory supports this thought of a teacher-led collaborative community in which â€Å" all participants learn with, and from, each other as they engage together in dialogic question † ( p. twelve ) . Therefore, it is possible to see larning non as the teacher-directed lone activity of making specific responses to precise cues as behaviorism suggests, nor as an independent manner of researching the universe and doing sense of the experience as Piaget proposes. Rather societal constructivism positions larning as a socially synergistic procedure in which persons make significances through interactions with others. Mediation, hence, can be seen as an indispensable component in the societal constructivist larning procedure. A go-between is another who is more knowing or experienced than the scholar ( i.e. instructor, parent or equal ) who assists the scholar in doing sense of their experiences in order to manner new apprehensions. By adding the factor of mediation to the construct of constructivism, Jonassen et Al. ( 1995 ) and Williams and Burden ( 1997 ) have proposed that four factors influence acquisition, these are: instructors, scholars, undertakings and contexts, and Williams a nd Burden ( Ibid. ) consider that â€Å" they all interact as portion of a dynamic, on-going procedure † ( P. 43 ) . In this manner, societal constructivism regards the instructor as usher or facilitator working with scholars in a collaborative group working within real-world contexts to make significance from problem-based undertakings. Constructing communities and contracting the distance The challenge for the distance pedagogue is to unite these factors into a successful acquisition environment and diverse issues of constructivism and andragogy demand to be considered. Palloff and Pratt, ( 2007 ) suggest that making successful distance instruction utilizing on-line methods will affect reassigning our best patterns from the schoolroom into a new sphere, â€Å" in this new sphere, nevertheless, the patterns may non look precisely the same † ( p.6 ) . The on-line medium obliges DL pedagogues to believe otherwise in order to use its learning-enhancing functionality and pedagogic/andragogic potencies. It poses the challenge, and presents the chance, of making a sense of community which can breed societal constructivist acquisition. Within instruction, sense of community includes larning community and societal community ( Rovai, Wighting and Lucking, 2004 ) , and community-building has been identified as a factor in cut downing or forestalling the feelings of disaffection and isolation which may lend to student abrasion in DL ( Rovai, 2002 ) . Learning community comprises of how members perceive group rank with respect to shared norms/values and to the ability to run into educational aims/expectations ( Rovai et al. , 2004 ) . Social community is representative of the feelings of community members towards their connection, coherence, safety, mutuality, common trust, and sense of belonging ( Ibid. ) . The DL pedagogue Fosters this sense of community through the creative activity of a safe environment wherein pupils do non experience threatened when showing thoughts, by advancing socialization, exposing regard for diverse backgrounds, supplying feedback which directs and keeps communicating fluxing, reacting to pu pils ‘ educational demands, and keeping an obvious online interceding presence. Brown ( 2001 ) links the grade of community experienced by scholars with the degree of battle and duologue within the category and this is a position shared by Moore ( 1993 ) who considered the dealing of distance acquisition. Transactional distance theory defines the distance in DL as more than merely the spacial disjunction of instructors and scholars, but instead as a distance of perceptual experiences and apprehensions which is partly caused by geographic separation ; this separation must be reduced if effectual acquisition is to happen. Transactional theory evolved from work by Dewey and Bentley ( 1949 ) , and â€Å" connotes the interplay among the environment, the persons and the form of behaviors in a state of affairs † ( Boyd and Apps ( 1980 ) , cited in Barbadillo, 1998, no page ordinal number ) . The DL dealing takes topographic point between scholars and instructors within an environment with the typical feature of spacial separation and the attendant array of part icular acquisition and instruction behaviors. Transactional distance is engendered by the physical separation which creates a communicational spread, or psychological infinite – an country of possible mistake between the inputs of the instructor and scholar ( Moore, 1993 ) . Moore ( 2007 ) considers that transactional distance is comparative, non absolute, and that larning programmes are non ‘distance ‘ or ‘not distance ‘ but instead they have â€Å" more distance or less distance † ( p.91 ) . Transactional development is influenced by three factors: duologue, construction and liberty ( Moore, 1993 ) . The nature and extent of duologue may be affected by diverse factors ( class design, teacher/learner personalities, capable affair, environment etc. ) , but the medium of communicating is besides an of import factor. Programs with small or no dialogic interplay have a greater transactional distance than those which foster dynamic duologue. The usage of synergistic, electronic media supports this dynamism and so help the shortening of transactional distance. Structure is evaluated by Moore ( Ibid. ) from the position of the class ‘s flexibleness or rigidness in footings of the constitution of learning techniques, educational ends, appraisal processs and the grade to which single demands are met. Finally Moore ( Ibid. ) views liberty as the extent of scholar control exercised over acquisition processs – the sum of pick the pupil has over issues of larning ends, rate of advancement, mode of instruction and assessment methods. Moore ‘s theory has obvious analogues with constructivist, societal constructivist and grownup acquisition theories, and it is evident that as andragogical and constructivist elements are introduced, transactional distance will diminish. Transactional distance and duologue are reciprocally relative, therefore a lessening in duologue will ensue in an addition in transactional distance, whilst an addition in dialogue reduces distance. Although Moore ( 1993 ) focussed upon the dialogic interplay between instructor and scholar, using constructivist attacks in combination with societal package Fosters dialogue amongst equals every bit good as between scholar and instructor in the spirit of Williams and Burden ‘s ( 1997 ) socially-constructed, dynamic procedure. Dialogue is besides relative to class construction, an addition in construction lessenings duologue and accordingly increases transactional distance ( Moore, 1993 ) ; Moore speculated that grownup scholars of course exh ibit independent behavior and this liberty relies upon decreased degrees of transactional distance e.g. low degrees of construction and high degrees of duologue. Constructivist ideals can further the decrease of transactional distance and so increase liberty in the spirit of Knowle ‘s self-conception. Interaction plays an of import portion in this procedure, and the ways in which engineering can help this must be considered. Interaction There are basically two types of interaction in a learning state of affairs. One consists of the scholar interacting separately with content, while the other involves societal activity – the scholar ‘s interactions with others ( equals or instructor ) about the content. A DL environment that is to supply affectional and effectual acquisition whilst making a sense of community and contracting the transactional distance must breed both sorts of interaction. In the yesteryear, societal interaction about content chiefly took topographic point between the pedagogue and scholar, but emergent engineerings have made it progressively executable for scholars to interact with each other and this interaction gives learners the chance to reflect, reconsider and cooperate in reliable problem-solving ( Lave and Wenger, 1991 ; Berge, 1995 ) . Social interactions which would usually happen in the conventional schoolroom ( e.g. sharing, treatment, group activities, equal reviewing, etc. ) must alternatively take topographic point via tools and engineerings in distance acquisition environments. However, some of these tools/technologies have restrictions which may impact the kinds of interactions that are possible or likely to go on. Online engineerings provide affordances that can be utilised for larning through substructures which allow connexions to objects and people that are in other environments ( Ryder and Wilson, 1996 ; Harasim, Hiltz, Teles and Turnoff, 1995 ) . Although these engineerings can further good interactions, they may besides impede them since pupils can non interact efficaciously unless they are easy able to use the media that they have been tasked with utilizing ( Kruper, 2002 ; Salmon, 2001 ) . Web 2.0 engineerings, which encompass a diverse scope of constituents that can be used to heighten the constructivist larning procedure, may offer a solution to this job. These tools are characterised by their celerity of deployment/ease of usage, enabling powerful information sharing and breeding constructive coaction ( Boulos, Maramba and Wheeler, 2006 ) . The minimum accomplishments needed to entree the characteristics of these engineerings allow scholars to concentrate upon information exchange and collaborative undertakings without the distraction of an environment which is technologically complex ( Kirkpatrick, 2006 ) . These tools – wikis, web logs, RSS provenders and podcasts etc. have been jointly called ‘social package ‘ and encapsulate a scope of coaction and information-sharing characteristics which may move as cognitive contemplation tools, helping building of significance as scholars develop content. The collaborative nature of societal package allows for the edifice of cognition both with and for others, concentrating upon the community instead than the single scholar. Collaborative acquisition may be synergised by happening in a community of pattern context – with scholars engaged in corporate acquisition within a shared sphere ( Lave & A ; Wenger, 1991 ) . Social package tools can move as cognition platforms for such a community, enabling information-sharing, treatment and coaction therefore helping the development of a constructivist environment. However, Marjanonic ( 1999 ) has criticised synchronal collaborative tools for enabling â€Å" communicating†¦ instead than computer-mediated coaction † ( p.131 ) . Hesse, Garsofsky and Hron ( 1997, cited in Pfister and Muhlpfordt, 2002, p.1 ) delineate the possible restrictions of utilizing synchronal text-based tools for collaborative discourse: deficiency of societal consciousness, deficient group coordination a nd lacking coherency of parts ; Pfister and Muhlpfordt ( 2002 ) besides stress the troubles that there may be in breeding consistent communicating, and equalizing parts within synchronal discourse. However, even in the schoolroom environment collaborative acquisition is non without its jobs, there may be, for case, pupils who dominate, inactive pupils, pupils who are loath to show their thoughts ( peculiarly if these contradict the instructor ‘s ) , or pupils making no work at the disbursal of others. The on-line environment may really assist to extenuate some of these jobs and lead pupils to comprehend online group treatments as more democratic and just than the traditional schoolroom ‘s opposite number ( Swan, 2001 ) . Some ( e.g. Jonassen and Kwon, 2001 ; Lai, 1997 ) assert that topics affecting treatment, brainstorming or contemplation are peculiarly suited to the online environment, and brooding acquisition – attacks that enable scholars to reflect on their acquisition and their acquisition processes – may be particularly effectual in this context. An of import component of brooding acquisition is that of reflecting upon cognition in order to do i t explicit. Social package, for illustration wikis, enables this contemplation to take topographic point collaboratively, conveying larning closer to the societal constructivist ideal. Employing tools which foster contemplation and self-assessment is a type of meta-cognitive staging that assists pupils in associating larning procedures to aims, and motivates them to presume duty for their ain acquisition. The usage of scaffolding as an foil of pupil acquisition was proposed by Bruner ( 1966 ) edifice upon the work of Vygotsky ( 1965 ) and in its original signifier viewed the instructor as the most likely scaffolder, making support systems for the pupil. However, in a technologically supported, constructivist environment where the pedagogue ‘s function as guide/facilitator is emphasised, equals, support tools or computing machine coachs are merely every bit likely to supply scaffolding. Beed, Hawkins and Roller ( 1991 ) see that scaffolding must take topographic point within a collaborative context, runing across the scholar ‘s ZPD, and be withdrawn as the scholar develops competence. From this it is clear that scaffolding within a DL environment may be an inherently societal procedure within which supportive interaction occurs in a collaborative context. Decision Much has changed in distance acquisition since its birth, rooted in correspondence classs, in the 1800s. Early classs were extremely structured, with minimum duologue between instructor and taught, and accordingly the distance between them – Moore ‘s psychological and communications gap – was great. Subsequent developments in communications engineering narrowed this distance, but the objectivist doctrine underpinning the exchange remained basically the same. Whilst it has been recognised for a figure of old ages that constructivist attacks may better the quality of instruction and acquisition in our schoolrooms, it has merely been in recent times, with the widespread usage of broadband and the development of tools which take advantage of its capablenesss, that constructivist ideals have been to the full capable of integrating into DL programmes. The new capablenesss afforded by societal package engineerings and the on-going development of online synchronal communi cations enable advanced staging and breed societal acquisition. However, distance pedagogues should non be tempted to utilize the advantages that engineering offers to try to animate the traditional schoolroom virtually, or to make state of affairss which pre-determine acquisition. This risks restricting the application of constructivism, and fails to admit that distance larning occurs in a typical socio-interactive context which requires a alone attack to learning and acquisition. Recent decennaries have seen important alterations in the bringing of DL as a consequence of new apprehensions about how grownups learn, and prefer to larn, every bit good as the rise of engineerings which enable the distance pedagogue to be ‘present ‘ even though temporally or spatially separate. The application of constructivist and andragogical theories combined with emergent engineerings have enabled the creative activity of practical schoolrooms within which collaborative communities can develop together, with the pedagogue presuming the function of facilitator in the group ‘s co-construction of cognition and significance. This interactive combination of theory and engineering has allowed distance larning to offer the grownup learner the ability to larn without clip or topographic point restraints whilst besides supplying the benefits – sense of belonging and collaborative endeavor – which the conventional schoolroom may offer. As a consequence, p upils no longer hold to ‘trade-off ‘ the advantages of synergistic acquisition against the convenience of distance survey, but instead can bask the benefits of both.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Broken Homes and Marriages

Broken family happens when the two parents are not anymore living together, usually this happens through divorce, but most recently, younger generation increased in number and frequency of single parenthood and early pregnancy (Tiabuilder, 2007). Broken homes, nonetheless might range from actual broken families or instances wherein parents and children seldom meet or have time together or instances when physical/sexual/psychological abuse/s are prevalent.People from broken homes did not experience the same love and affection that can be found in a normal family. Usually, they are provided with little attention and care. Thus, they are less likely to possess the essential qualities that a successful relationship requires. It must be noted that coming from broken homes increased the chances of rebellious behavior/s and delinquency (Tiabuilder, 2007). They are inclined to demand from their partners more attention, understanding and trust, to compensate what they lost.At first the couple with one or both coming from broken homes might become successful but in the long run they are less likely to possess the relative experience and knowledge required to establish a family and work out a marriage. Marriage is about sharing, becoming parents and becoming responsible citizens (Akande, 2008). Without a proper guide, those that came from broken homes lack not only the capability and/or ability but also the knowledge of maintaining a happy and good relationship with their partner or child/ren.More likely, people from broken homes follow the same path as what they had experienced. Work Cited: Akande, J. The Devastating Effects of Divorce and Separation. Retrieved on October 21, 2008, from http://www. myeexpert. com/areasofexpertise. php? id=246. Tiabuilder. The Only Solution To High Divorce Rates and Broken Families. 2007. Retrieved on October 22, 2008, from http://tiabuilder. wordpress. com/2007/04/29/the-only-solution-to-high-divorce-rates-and-broken-families/.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

We Are Young

What percentage of new Jobs requires postsecondary education? Nearly two-thirds of Jobs require postsecondary education. 7. Are communication skills acquired by nature or by nurture? Explain. Nurture. No one is born with perfect communication skills It's something that can be perfected with effort such as effective listening skills, and the process of bettering these skills Is ongoing and can only Improve. 8. List seven trends In the workplace that affect business communicators. Be prepared to discuss how they might affect you in your true career.Flattened management hierarchy, more participatory management, increased emphasis on self-directed work groups and virtual teams, heightened global competition, Innovative communication technologies, new work environments and Focus on Information and knowledge as corporate assets.. 9. Give a brief definition of the following words: A. Encode- put message into coded form B. Channel- directs towards a particular end or object C. Decode- to co nvert from code or plain text 10. List 11 techniques for improving your listening skills. Be prepared to discuss each.Stop talking, Control your surroundings, Establish a receptive mind-set, Keep an open mind, Listen for mall points, Capitalize on lag time, Listen between the lines, Judge Ideas. Not appearances. Hold your fire, Take selective notes, Provide feedback. 1 1 . When verbal and nonverbal messages conflict, which are receivers more likely to believe? Give an Original example. Well it depends on the message being relayed. If so-in-so said something like â€Å"l found a thousand dollars on the ground† and you look at his friend who rolls his eyes and shakes his head meaning that he's lien or exaggerating I'm more like to believe that person.But this could also work both ways. I think It depends on what's being said. 12. Would your culture be classified as high- or low-context? Why? Low because Americans rely on facts, data and logic. We also value independence, Imitat ive and self-assertion. 13. What is ethnocentrism, and how can it be reduced? The belief in the superiority of one's own culture is known as ethnocentrism. This natural attitude is found in all cultures. Ethnocentrism causes us to Judge others by our own values.In these cultures, however, personal relationships must be established and nurtured before earnest talks may proceed. 14. List seven or more suggestions for enhancing comprehension when you are talking with nonnative Speakers of English. Be prepared to discuss each. Use simple English, Speak slowly and enunciate clearly, Encourage accurate feedback, Check frequently for comprehension, Observe eye messages, Accept blame, Listen without interrupting. 15. List five suggestions for Improving communication among diverse workplace audiences. Be prepared To discuss each. Understand the value I similarity.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Marketing Case Study with Questions and Answers

CHAPTER 13: THE MARKETING OF SERVICES ADDITIONAL CASE STUDY NEW LINE IN MOBILE PHONES One of the oldest principles of marketing is that sellers may sell features, but buyers essentially buy benefits. This is a distinction sometimes lost on technology led organisations, and the service sector is no exception. Recent experience of the UK’s largest telecommunications company, Vodafone Airtouch, illustrates how crucial it is to see service offers in terms of the benefits they bring to customers.The company was aware of extensive research which had found high levels of confusion among purchasers of mobile phones, with a seemingly infinite permutation of features and prices. With four main networks to choose from, dozens of tariffs and hundreds of handsets, it easy to see why buyers sought means of simplifying their buying process. Throughout the 1990s, Vodafone had positioned its UK network as superior technically to its competitors. Advertising focused on high coverage rates and c all reliability. Vodafone was the UK's most popular mobile phone operator, with almost eight million customers, including 4. million Pay as you Talk customers. It had opened the UK's first cellular network on 1 January 1985and was the market leader since 1986. Vodafone's networks in the UK – analogue and digital – between them carried over 100 million calls each week. It took Vodafone more than 13 years to connect its first three million subscribers but only 12 months to connect the next three million. Vodafone had the largest share of the UK cellular market with 33% and had more international roaming agreements than any other UK mobile operator. It could offer its subscribers roaming with 220 networks in 104 countries.Despite all of the above, Vodafone was aware that although it was recognised as an extremely strong business in the corporate marketplace, it was not so strong in the market for personal customers. Research indicated that personal buyers bought Vodafone for essentially rational reasons rather than having any emotional attachment to the brand. The success of the competing Orange network, which had developed a very strong image, was a lesson to Vodafone that many people did not understand many of the product features on offer, but instead identified with a brand whose values they could share.Vodafone recognised that it needed to be perceived as adding value to a consumer’s lifestyle?. Given the increasing complexity of product features, positioning on technical features was likely to make life more confusing for personal customers. An alternative approach was needed which focused on image and lifestyle benefits. The company decided to hire Identica – the consultancy that originally created the One 2 One brand – to revamp its brand communications and advertising strategy in an effort to make Vodafone more appealing to personal customers.Identica created a new ‘visual language’ for the Vodafone brand. Vodafone became involved in the biggest ever TV, press, poster and radio advertising campaign in its 15 year history. Employing a completely new style, the new advertising centred around the theme: ‘You are now truly mobile. Let the world come to you' and featured a new end-line – Vodafone YOU ARE HERE. The campaign demonstrated how Vodafone's products and services were designed to make life easier for its customers. The campaign, created by BMP DDB, was worth ? 20 million over two months alone and ran for the whole year.Bringing meaning to the Vodafone brand and what it represented, a series of advertisements, through a range of media, showed how Vodafone let the world come to its customers, enabling them to be truly mobile. This portrayed how Vodafone always pioneered to make things more possible for its customers in a wire-free world. In press and poster executions, Vodafone used arrows photographed in various real life situations to depict its flagship services, e. g. a weather vane was used to illustrate the Vodafone Interactive weather service showing how weather information could be brought to customers through their mobile.Each advertisement again had the Vodafone YOU ARE HERE end-line. The arrows indicated the directional approach of Vodafone, letting the world come to the customer. Other executions illustrated cinema listing information, sports updates, share price information, international roaming and the Vodafone Personal Roadwatch 1800 service. The change in emphasis by Vodafone seemed to be timely. The mobile phone industry was facing a new wave of confusing product features hitting consumers, with the development of Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) phones and the newer â€Å"Third generation† phones due to be launched in 2001.It seemed inevitable that all of the competing networks would be offering confusing permutations of features with their service, so Vodafone calculated that, given similar levels of reliability and sophis tication by all networks, a favourable image and lifestyle association would be an important source of competitive advantage. Given the right image with existing technology, there would be a strong probability that consumers would migrate with the brand to the new technology when it arrived. Source: adapted from Vodafone Image Shift†, Marketing, 4th May, 2000 and Vodafone Home Page, http://www. vodafone. co. uk ADDITIONAL CASE STUDY REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Identify the principal benefits to customers which derive from a mobile phone. What differences are likely to exist between market segments? 2. Is a strong brand identity on its own a source of sustainable competitive advantage? To what extent must this be backed up by real product features? 3. Are goods different to services in the way that a distinction is made between features and benefits?